Destinations

WHEN TOURISM GOES WRONG: World Bank backs out of Tanzania project

The World Bank has suspended funding for a tourism project in Tanzania that has caused the suffering of tens of thousands of villagers, according to a US-based rights group that has long urged the global lender to take such action. The World Bank’s decision to suspend the US$150- million project, which aims to improve the management of natural resources and tourism assets in a remote part of southern Tanzanian, was “long overdue,” according to the Oakland Institute.

‘VENICELAND’ TESTS ENTRY FEE FOR VISITORS

Venice launched a pilot program Thursday to charge day-trippers a €5 (CDN$7.35) entry fee that authorities hope will discourage visitors from arriving on peak days and make the city more livable for its dwindling residents. But not everyone was happy, with some residents likening the move to turning Venice into a theme park.

MOULIN ROUGE LOSES IT’S SAILS: Plus, near strike disrupts Paris flights

Paris’s iconic windmill sails of the Moulin Rouge, a vibrant emblem of French city’s bohemian lifestyle, collapsed Thursday after a show. The incident took place shortly before 2 a.m., after the last performance of the night had ended and the audience had left the historic cabaret venue, renowned for its dazzling shows and can-can dancers. No injuries were reported.

TOURISM ROARS BACK, BUT BUSINESSES STILL BATTLE DEBT

Maureen Gordon has weathered hard times before. She and her husband began running ecotourism outfit Maple Leaf Adventures out of Vancouver about a month before the 9/11 terrorist attacks devastated international travel in 2001. The rebound was relatively quick. Fallout from COVID-19 has proven much more prolonged.

VEGAS TO L.A.: Construction begins on first U.S. bullet train

A US$12-billion passenger bullet train linking Sin City to the City of Angels is now under construction with the Las Vegas-Los Angeles line dubbed the first true high-speed rail service in the US. The private company building it is predicting millions of ticket-buyers will be boarding trains by 2028.

THE SWEET SOUNDS OF ‘UNEXPECTED’ PHILADELPHIA

It was only fitting that last week’s trade mission to Toronto by the Philadelphia Visitors and Convention Bureau culminated in an evening at the Royal Conservatory with the Philadelphia Orchestra, which also performed its first international concert in the city 100 years ago. PHLCVB President and CEO Gregg Caren said the event symbolized the long history of cultural connections between the two cities and noted that Canada is Philadelphia’s top partner in both trade and tourism.

THAI TOURIST TOWN AIMS TO CONTAIN MONKEY MAYHEM

Thai wildlife officials have laid out a plan to bring peace to a central Thai city after at least a decade of human-monkey conflict. The macaques that roam Lopburi are a symbol of local culture, and a major tourist draw.

CANADIANS ‘FEELING GOOD’ ABOUT GERMANY, AND VICE VERSA

With a nearly 33 percent increase in Canadian overnights in 2023 to almost 644,000 visitors, Canadians are clearly embracing the German National Tourist Office’s “Simply Feel Good” tourism campaign, as the busy summer travel season approaches – fuelled by 114 non-stop weekly flights between the countries by Air Canada/Lufthansa and Condor.

HELLO DOLLIES: Windsor Castle celebrates centenary world famous doll house

Throughout 2024, Britian’s Royal Collection Trust will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House at Windsor Castle, the largest and most famous dolls’ house in the world. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House was built between 1921 and 1924 as a gift from the nation to Queen Mary following the First World War.

UP IN FLAMES: Fire guts famous Copenhagen landmark

There’s one less spire in the “City of Spires” after fire gutted the Boersen, Copenhagen’s famed former stock exchange building on Tuesday – a calamity being compared to the destruction of Notre Dame in Paris in 2019.

NYC HITTING A HOME RUN WITH CANADIAN MARKET

There’s always something new in New York, a constant that helps inspire a million Canadians a year to visit, says senior city tourism exec Reginald Charlot.

SCOTLAND TAPS GAELIC INTEREST FOR NEW TOURISM STRATEGY

A new tourism strategy aimed at delivering authentic and memorable visitor experiences by celebrating Gaelic culture, heritage and language has been launched in Scotland. The new plan highlights an increasing interest in the Gaelic language and culture from both domestic and international visitors.

PALM BEACHES PUMPED ABOUT NEW TRAVEL TRADE PORTAL

Discover The Palm Beaches (DTPB), the tourism marketing organization for Palm Beach County, Fla., has created a new resource to help travel professionals learn, sell, engage with, and promote The Palm Beaches.

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT: New Caribbean tourism group has fresh vision for Canada

A new Caribbean tourism group founded by the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s former Canadian BDM has launched in Canada. One Caribbean Canada is the brainchild of Nancy Drolet, who has assembled an inaugural list of 18 destinations and several hotels in the region, with the notion of banding together to better promote the Caribbean in this country.

FOUR EASY WAYS TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL TOURISM WEEK

National Tourism Week (NTW) – April 15-19 – is coming up. The campaign is orchestrated by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC) and billed as a crucial platform for highlighting the pivotal role of tourism in Canada.

BEHIND THE WAX: Who’s hot at Madame Tussauds

It’s a long way from Queen Victoria to Doja Cat (a rapper), but Madame Tussauds is pulling back the curtain to provide a glimpse into the research process that may culminate in the iconic attractions’ next wax models.

‘COME WITH AN OPEN MIND’: Remote St. Helena builds on Napoleon legacy

History buffs (or those who watch the new Disney+ biopic on Napoleon Bonaparte) may know the remote island of St. Helena as the site of the former French emperor’s exile, but the British overseas territory – a small, craggy island in the South Atlantic Ocean – hasn’t seen many tourists in the past for good reason: It’s one of the most remote inhabited places in the world.

THREE SECLUDED BEACHES THAT EMBUE CUBA’S QUIET SIDE

Cuba is a hot-spot destination for Canadians looking to spend their days soaking up the sun on a soft-sand beach and wading in crystal-clear waters. While renowned Varadero Beach is popular among travellers and picturesque under any light, Cuba is also home to plenty of white sands found off the beaten path that are ideal for travellers seeking some solitude away from the crowds.

TROPICANA CHECKS OUT: Famed Vegas resort closes for good

From its lavish opening in 1957 on a Las Vegas Boulevard surrounded by wide-open desert, to its sleepier years amid a boom in megaresorts, the Tropicana Las Vegas has been a familiar landmark in Las Vegas. Now the Strip’s third-oldest casino, the famed resort shut its doors for good at noon Tuesday, with demolition slated for October.

A RESPONSIBLE PARTNERSHIP

VisitScotland has launched an innovative new partnership The Travel Corporation (TTC) and the Travel Foundation designed to inspire and support climate action within Scotland’s tourism industry and drive change with businesses, visitors, and destinations.

BUG OFF: U.S. set to experience biggest cicada emergence in centuries

Pack your earplugs. Trillions of evolution’s bizarro wonders, red-eyed periodical cicadas that have pumps in their heads and jet-like muscles in their rears, are about to emerge in numbers in part of the United State not seen in decades and possibly centuries.

SCHENGEN STATUS A BOOST TO ROMANIA, BULGARIA TRAVELLERS

In move that will benefit millions of travellers annually, Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone on Sunday, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union.

ANOTHER FINE PICKLE: It’s game on in Antigua-Barbuda

Is it the most queried question in travel? “Do they have pickleball?” With this in mind, the Antigua and Barbuda has served up a list of places in the twin Caribbean island nation where visitors can grab a paddle and have a “slamming good time with the warm sun shining down and the gentle Caribbean breeze on your face.”

‘ALL HANDS ON DECK’: Niagara braces for eclipse throng

Niagara Falls is bracing for its largest influx of tourists in its history with more than a million people expected to flock to the city for next week’s total solar eclipse. A state of emergency has already been declared for Niagara Region on April 8, though Niagara Falls’ mayor is urging visitors to prepare for, not avoid, the spectacle.

DUBAI: Lifestyles for the rich and famous, and everyone else

Dubai welcomed more tourists than ever before in 2023, attracting 17.15 million international overnight visitors. And they weren’t all rich and famous – a perception that Visit Dubai is eager to dispel, urging the trade to consider that “If you think you know Dubai, think again!”

JTB TO HOST ‘EVENING WITH JAMAICA’ EVENTS

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is inviting travel advisors from across the Greater Toronto Area to experience a night of destination knowledge, cultural exploration, and island hospitality during a two-part ‘Evening with Jamaica’ event series on April 16 and 17.

DISNEY, DESANTIS SETTLE BITTER DISPUTE

Allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney reached a settlement agreement Wednesday in a state court fight over how Walt Disney World is developed in the future following the takeover of the theme park resort’s government by the Florida governor.

AGENTS MEET THE REAL NEW ZEALAND

Accompanied by key suppliers from New Zealand, the South Pacific country’s national carrier called in Toronto and Calgary this week as part of a North American mission designed to “harness everything New Zealand… and bring a touch of New Zealand” to the trade.

Scroll to Top